Potomac Photonics is pleased to announce the successful completion of its National Science Foundation (NSF) Phase I Small Business Innovation Research contract related to energy storage, electrical distribution, and packaging for wireless sensor networks. This work targeted development of integration, packaging, and power technology for miniaturization of wireless sensor nodes. During Phase I, Potomac’s engineers were tasked with the challenge of reducing the volume of the current state-of-art wireless sensor package by a factor of ten. Potomac developed new embedded-component 3D packaging techniques and incorporated advanced battery from FlexEl, LLC to demonstrate feasibility of constructing sugar-cube sized sensing nodes with high-density energy storage. This cost effective technology is capable of producing nodes of almost arbitrary shape, and could revolutionize the manner in which wireless sensors are manufactured. Potomac will work with sensing systems developers to incorporate the new technology in their future designs. By addressing critical needs such as size reduction, shape customization, and time to market, Potomac’s processes will play a significant role in the development of next-generation wireless sensors for applications extending from home healthcare to the monitoring of aging bridges, pipelines, and aircraft.
“We’re very pleased by the Phase I results and encouraged by the support we’ve received from NSF and the interest in our work shown by industry leaders," said Dr. Paul Christensen the principal investigator and founder of Potomac Photonics. “Moving forward, we look forward to kicking off the next Phase and commercializing this important technology”.